A component of a single-electron circuit is a single-electron tunnel junction. Generally, a single-electron tunnel junction has a structure similar to a parallel plate capacitor, where two plates are separated by a dielectric. However, the single-electron tunnel junction has two special properties that sets it apart from an ordinary parallel plate capacitor. First, the dielectric has to be thin enough to allow electrons to tunnel through the dielectric. Second, the capacitance of the structure should be sufficiently small so that the addition of a single electron would result in a significant voltage change (such as 0.5 volts).
To date, however, devices produced using conventional CMOS processes have not produced satisfactory results. Thus, there is a need for a single-electron device made using conventional CMOS presses